Randal Gold and the Chance at Love
by ChickaBonBon
Summary: Belle is a student at Storybrooke Community College who has a wild imagination and a love of all things books. Randal Gold is a archaeologist who has decided to teach after being injured. The only problem is he's not a people person. What happens when Belle becomes his teacher's assistant. Will strangers become friends?
1. Day One

It was a clear, sunny day on the campus of the Storybrooke Community College. A cheerful vibe spread throughout the students as they made their way to their first day of classes. It was August so the air outside was still hot. The air was thick with humidity. The news was already warning of a storm coming in from the Atlantic.

Belle stood outside the Hanks building. Her blonde curls hung around her around her shoulders. No matter how many first days of class she had been through, she still felt a sense of panic before walking into the classroom. What would her teacher be like? Was the class worth taking? Was it hard? She worried over so many minute details. She even had trouble picking out what to wear that day. She had chosen her lucky jeans, which fit her like a second skin. She tucked her jeans into her lace up boots that went up to her knees. They only had an inch and a half heels so she could easily navigate the campus without aching her feet. Where she had trouble was the shirt. She wanted something that said sophisticated and brilliant yet flirty. She never knew when she was going to run into Mr. Right, however unlikely that was to happen in their small town. Finally, she decided on a sky blue floral top with loose sleeves that came in only at the sides before flowing out again. When she lifted her arms, it reminded her the way a butterfly's wings looked. When the breeze blew, it actually almost looked like she was flying.

Well, that's what Jefferson liked to say. He often called her 'his little guardian angel'. Jefferson was her best friend. She had known him as long as she could remember. She was even godmother to his daughter, Grace. She had become a second mother to Grace, when Jefferson' girlfriend died giving birth to the baby. Belle did everything she could to help them. Sometimes she'd go over to his house and babysit just so Jefferson could get a little time to himself. Most the time he would just stay home instead of going out. If she really wanted him out of the house, she had to take his house key and lock him out.

Grace always laughed at that. Jefferson looked like a lost puppy sitting outside so most of the time, Belle just let him back in.

Belle had a frown on her face as she stared at the building. She was an English major. So this was the first time she was taking something so out of her comfort zone besides the classes she had to take. She glanced down at the schedule she printed out the night before. _Archeology 101_ it read. _Randal Gold_ was the name of her teacher. She had read his bio online. He had spent the last ten years in Europe on different digging sites. His main mission had been to find the legend of where Merlin was buried.

All of a sudden a pair of hands snuck up behind her, tickling her sides. She let out a squeal and immediately squirmed out of the person's grip. She turned around to yell at whoever it was when she saw Jefferson's smirking face. "Happy to see me?" He asked, winking at her.

"You ass!" She laughed, swinging her notebook and papers to swat him in the arm.

He easily ducked under her arm and grabbed her by her middle. He threw her onto his shoulder. She barely was able to catch herself from her face slamming right into his back. He had done this to her so many times she had learned to be on the defensive. She used her forearms to press up against his back so she wasn't just hanging there. Her skin touched the soft velvet of his purple vest. She rolled her eyes. "Why haven't you thrown this away?" She grumbled, picking at it.

Straightening up, he slipped inside with her. "You're a lot heavier than I remember," he snickered giving her a pat on the bottom.

Jefferson did some crazy things while they were together. Sometimes the things he said would make her question his sanity. He was a very paranoid person, often spouting conspiracy theories about their little town. He was careful to hide this side from Grace. Belle was always there to bring him back into reality but it had her worried about him. He had fallen in love with Alice who was two years older than him that when she died it had broke him. Belle admitted she had been nervous about Jefferson as a father figure. Her fears were instantly squashed when she saw how good he was with her.

"Jefferson!" She squealed, taking her notebooks and swatting his butt. "What on earth are you doing?" She made sure not to look at his back side in his tight black pants.

"I'm giving you a lift to class, obviously," he said as if that was the simplest fact in the world. He made his way down the hall and to the stairs. Belle had never stepped foot in this building. Jefferson acted like he had been there at least a dozen times as he bounded up the stairs.

"And how do you know where my class is?" She asked, watching the stairs as he took them two at a time. She knew better than to try and squirm. He was too strong.

"Oh, you remember when you logged into your account to check your email? Well, you forgot to log off so I found your schedule and decided you'd need my moral support in this class," he said. She could almost hear his smug grin.

"Wait, you're taking this class too?" Belle said. She was a little stunned. From time to time, he would do quirky things for her. She guessed he went out of his way because she always helped him out with Grace. He didn't seem to understand she wanted to be there to help.

He exited the stairwell and began to run with her down the hall. "You really think I'd leave you to fend for yourself? What kind of friend do you think I am?"

Belle was getting a little nervous by how fast he was going. She could just see them crashing into one of the cases of beautiful artifacts that lined the rooms. "Okay, Jeff slow down." She said, gripping his jacket with one hand. Her other hand was trying to keep a hold on her notepad.

"Why you can't handle this?" He asked, skidding as he reached a corner before darting down the hall.

"No! I can't handle it!" She shook her head.

As they passed by a set of offices, a man was coming out of his office. "Jeff!" She squealed as he nearly knocked the poor man over. He barely managed to hold onto his cup of coffee. Jefferson hardly paused except to call an apology over his shoulder. "I'm sorry!" Belle called meeting the man's gaze. He looked a little stunned as he stared after them.

She wasn't sure what emotion crossing his face because Jefferson turned and carried her into a lecture hall. "You should really be more careful." She sighed as he gently put her down so she was sitting in a chair. He had picked one of the chairs in the back near the door. He liked being able to exit quickly after class. "Go apologize." She said, pointing towards the door.

"Oh come on, _mom_, you're not actually going to make me apologize. He's fine!" Jefferson said slipping into the seat next to her.

Belle rolled her eyes. "One of these days, someone is going to get hurt." She sighed, glancing towards the door. He must work here since he was leaving one of the offices. She hoped he was okay.

The other students were filing in now. Somewhere near the middle a man came hobbling in. Belle noticed that he needed a cane to walk. She frowned as she watched him. He was thin man and probably only a little taller than her. His chin length hair was speckled with gray, just like the stubble on his face. He wasn't a model or anything but he was handsome. A diamond in the rough. Only then did she realize, he was the man they had nearly knocked over in the hall.

"Whatcha looking at?" Jefferson asked, leaning over so his lips were right at her ear.

Belle nearly jumped out of her skin. She picked up her notebook again and smacked him with her notebook. "Jefferson!" She hissed. When she looked back to the man, his eyes were on her as he made his way down the stairs. A blush crept up her cheeks. "You don't think that's our teacher is it?" She asked softly, bringing her notebook in front of her mouth so he wouldn't see what she was saying. "Please tell me that is a student… Please tell me you did not just nearly knock over our teacher."

Jefferson's eyes followed her. The man looked away from them and made his way to the desk at the front of the class. "Well, I could lie to you."

"Oh, god. I'm never gonna pass this class." She groaned sinking down in her chair.

He looked over at her, smiling at her sympathetically. "Want to run out while we still can?"

"No. I need this class." She murmured, trying to push back the tears of mortification. He seemed to sense her discomfort and wrapped his arm around it.

"I doubt he'll even remember it come next class." He tried to soothe her.

She looked over at him. "What are the odds of that?" She buried her face in her hands. "I was gonna try to get him to let me talk with him for my story."

He smiled at her. "He'd be stupid not to forgive you for what I did."


	2. The Deal

Toward the beginning of class, Belle noticed something strange. Ever since they had first made eye contact, she had a feeling that Professor Gold was making sure to not let it happen again. By the end of the class, her cheeks were burning red. Now she knew she was right. Those brown eyes had looked over every single person except for her. She had even noticed him looking at Jefferson, but never at her. Why would he be angry at her for what happened?

She could feel Jefferson's eyes flicker over to her throughout the class. He had tried to say something a couple times but every time she had shushed him until he eventually gave up. He'd hold his questions until after class. That was if he got the chance. Belle fully intended on speaking with Professor Gold, even if that meant not giving Jefferson the chance to talk to her. She could always call him later.

Mr. Gold was an awkward speaker. It wasn't so much that he didn't have anything interesting to say. It was that everyone in the room could tell he really didn't want to be there. He also had a way of being patronizing to everyone who asked questions. The students quickly learned to keep their mouths shut.

"Well if that's all the questions you have for me…" he said, holding out his last word to give everyone a chance to raise their hand. No one dared. "Then I shall let you all go and see you on Wednesday." He said, picking up his cup and cane. How he managed to get out the door before half the students, Belle didn't know.

"Professor Gold!" She called, getting up quickly and following him out. She had to fight the sudden rush of students trying to beat her out the door. When she finally made it out of the crowd, she saw him unlocking the door to his office. "Wait!" She said, skidding to a stop just in front of the door as he slipped inside. He was carefully shutting the door as if to hide his movements. Was it just her imagination or was he doing everything possible to avoid her? "Professor Gold." She said a little breathlessly, barely managing to stick her foot in the foot.

He flinched at the sound of his name. "Sorry, dearie, I didn't hear you." He told her, trying to look apologetic. The look didn't reach his eyes. His eyes were wary. "I don't really have time have to chat."

"I understand, really. But if you could spare five minutes?" Belle asked, lifting her eyebrows quizzically. He opened his mouth to say something. "Two minutes! Two minutes tops I swear!" She amended quickly before he could object. "Please?"

Mr. Gold hesitated. The seconds grew to what seemed like at least a few minutes. She never dropped his gaze. He finally pulled the door open wide so she could come in. "If you must." He sighed.

"Thank you!" She beamed, stepping inside. He shut the door behind her. He turned from her and made his way back over to his desk. She noticed him leaning heavily on his cane.

He sat down behind his desk. "So what was it you wanted?" His voice was strained from what she could only assume was pain or annoyance.

"Well," she started. She took a step further into his office. "You see, I'm an English major. And I'm writing a novel…" She drifted off when she finally noticed the boxes after bumping into one. She glanced down and then her eyes slowly traveled over the rest of them. "Oh my god, what happened in here?"

"What?" He asked, meeting her eyes. She hadn't seen where he had been looking before but she got the suspicion he had been checking her out. She stood up a little straighter, not wanting to seem like the type he could just push over or treat like a piece of meat. He looked around the room. There were no signs of discomfort to hint that he may be uncomfortable with the mess. "Nothing, I'm just moving my things in."

To Belle it looked like a jungle created by boxes. "Do you even know where any of your things are?" She asked.

He pursed his lips. "Yes, of course I do."

She peeked at one of the labels on a box at hip level. "'Office things?'" she read, looking over at him with a pointed look. In fact, all of them had very vague labels. "How are you going to get organized for class?"

Clearing his throat, he sat up a little more. "We're not here to talk about me, love. I believe you had a question to ask me." He glanced at the gold wrist watch. It looked like an antique. "And I believe you have a minute and thirty seconds left."

"Right! Sorry!" She managed to make it over to his desk, sitting down in his chair. "Like I said, I'm writing this book. Well, _trying_ to write this book." He made her nervous. "It's about a man who's an archaeologist. He's not charming or overly attractive. In fact, he keeps to himself. He prefers his artifacts over actual human interaction." Her fingers trembled as she brought one to her forehead and pushed some of her bangs behind her ear.

"Let me guess… The only trouble you're having is that you know nothing about archaeology?" His mouth was in a thin line. She could tell he didn't want to help her. "I believe after taking a semester of my class you will learn a few basics that may help you-"

"But I don't need just the basics." She cut him off. "I want to know what it was like to be in the field, to really use those skills."

"So what, you want stories?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment. "Not exactly… but that would be helpful. Anything you'd be willing to tell me would be great."

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, dearie, but I don't have time to help you with your little… endeavor." His tone made it seem like her writing was beneath him.

She tilted her chin up defensively. "I could help you, you know."

"Oh really? And how is that?" A wicked smile crossed his lips as he questioned her.

Her heart jumped right into her throat. She gulped it back down. She hadn't meant for her attempt to sound like a proposition for sex. "Your office." To her dismay, her voice sounded startled. "I'm pretty good at organizing things. I could help you organize your office… I could be your teaching assistant."

His eyebrows furrowed as he thought over what she said. She couldn't tell if he was actually interested or if he was trying to think of a good way to tell her no. "And all I'd have to do is teach you a few things? Tell you some stories?"

"Yes," she said a little too quickly.

Mr. Gold seemed to mull over this offer. She hoped that he would realize he would never be able to get this all put away soon without any help. "Alright, you have a deal, Ms…?" He let the sentence hang in the air.

"French. Belle French," she told him, reaching her hand out to shake his. "You won't be sorry about this, Professor Gold."

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own this show, the characters, etc. I'm not affiliated with the show. This is just one fan's take. I'm not even the first one with the Professor Rum and Student Belle idea.

Thank you everyone for all your kind words and the reviews! I love reviews. ^-^ I'm glad that everyone loves the broship of Jefferson and Belle. You will be seeing more of it! Don't worry! I'm not sure how long this story will be but I will keep writing. :) Or I'll try to. I have a few friends that are amazing at pushing me to continue to write.

I know there were other things I wanted to mention but I can't think of anything. I hope you all continue to read! If you have any questions feel free to ask me here or on my tumblr and I'll get back to you. :) .com

3 Laura


	3. Lunchtime Surprise

Belle had already been through four cups of coffee by the time she reached Professor Gold's office at nine am, practically bouncing off the walls. Her morning had started at the crack of dawn to help her father at the flower shop like she did every day. Even though he always said he could manage, she hated leaving him the burden of doing it all by himself.

Once her father was at a point he could manage, she hurried out the door. Parking as close to Professor Gold's office as she could, she still had a ways to walk.

Everything seemed to be on her side. The birds sang to her and the sun warmed her skin. The storm the weather man predicted hadn't been quite as damaging as he forecasted. It had passed through during the night and significantly dropped the temperature. The air had crispness to it.

She knew that today she was going to be crawling around on the floor sorting through the boxes so she picked her outfit carefully. She and her father didn't make a lot of money, only so many people wanted flowers and balloons. Typically, she went to thrift stores. The problem with shopping at a thrift store was she couldn't always find clothes that fit her perfectly. Today, she wore another pair of jeans that were a little too big for her. The collar of her shirt came down in a v neck and the creamy yellow material gathered at the ribs then spread out to drape over her hips. Her tan gladiator sandals made only faint taps as she walked under the breezeway.

Professor Gold's office door was shut when she arrived. She knocked but there was no answer. The hours posted on the door said he should have been opened at 8:45 am. Glancing at her watch, it was just after nine. She checked the handle, it was locked. "Well, I guess I should have expected that," she told herself as she sank to the ground next to the door.

Belle nursed the last of her coffee from her thermos. Tilting her head back, she tried to tap the last of the latté from its depths. As if fate wanted to mock her, Professor Gold came into view. He cleared his throat to make sure he had her attention. "Dearie," He had the most peculiar look on his face, it was a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. She slowly lowered the thermos, licking her lips.

"Good morning," she told him with a smile, bouncing off the floor like a spring, hoping he didn't notice the blush on her face.

"Oh god, you're a morning person," he accused. A frown instantly formed on his face.

"I am not!" she said, unsure why she was trying to convince him differently. "I just… had a lot of coffee."

"Oh? Coffee did that?" he asked doubtfully, unlocking his office and moving inside.

"It did actually." Belle flipped on the lights so he wouldn't trip on the way to his desk.

Professor Gold nodded to her in thanks as he set his messenger bag down on his desk. "And how many cups did you have?"

She pursed her lips at his question and glanced down at her feet as she mumbled the number.

He frowned, looking over at her. "What was that, dearie?"

"Five," she said softly, turning away from him and looking at a picture of him accepting an award. "Five lattés."

Professor Gold didn't hide the surprise on his face. "I suppose that would do it," he admitted.

"No kidding." She nodded and turned back to him with a smile. "Where should I start?"

* * *

Two weeks passed without incident. Neither Professor Gold nor Belle did much talking in the beginning. They found each other's company comfortable, neither of them needed to fill that silence with useless talking. She found out quite quickly that he was a pack rat. The amount of items he managed to fit in a single box was quite daunting. She half expected the next box that opened to burst. The young girl didn't know if anyone died from being smothered by a paper explosion but she had a feeling she just might find out.

By the third day they spent together, they did start to talk. Belle would sit on the ground organizing his papers into different piles and ask him things about how he got started as an archeologist. Since she was doing a decent job, he obliged her with answers. She seemed to know better than to ask anything too personal, or maybe she just didn't care. Professor Gold was unable to decide. By Saturday he was telling her stories about some of his adventures. He loved seeing her get so wrapped up in his stories that she would forget what she was doing.

The weekend must have done something to them because they were cracking jokes with each other when they got back. Belle poked fun of how he acted all big and bad but was really a pussy cat. Actually she called him a basset hound, how they sounded all big and bad but when you got closer all you saw was how adorable they really are. No mean bone in their body. He growled at that but that only made her succumb to a fit of giggles. He teased her about her clumsiness. She had nearly broken one vase from the seventeen hundreds and a glass orb that was thought to be used in pagan ceremonies during the witch trials over in Europe.

Even with all their banter, Belle made great progress. She arranged his artifacts around the room, almost all the paper was put away in the filing cabinet. Soon she wouldn't have much more to do unless he wanted to keep her on as an assistant and do errands for him. She doubted he would keep her on but it wasn't like he paid her. To be honest, she had no idea if she would be happy to be done with all of this or a little sad. As time went by, she grew to enjoy his company and she couldn't imagine going more than a few days without talking to him.

* * *

Two weeks seemed to pass at a crawls pace for Jefferson Hatter. The more time Belle spent with Professor Gold, the more distant she got from him. It was terrible for him but he hated seeing his daughter looking so lonely without her.

The Hatters made a lot of food, hoping to tempting Belle to eat with them. They even made a sack lunch for Professor Gold. Jefferson might as well keep him in his good graces. He had no idea what Gold liked but he made all of Belle's favorites. Maybe he could even convince her to let him take her out the next weekend, after all it was her birthday. She deserved a little fun with her friends.

The drive from the school to the university was a very short one. Grace skipped all the way to the building. It was good to see her so happy about something. She never got a chance to meet her mother. She was protective as a lioness of her. Belle would do anything for Grace just like he would.

Jefferson warned Grace about Professor Gold on their way up the stairs. He explained that he wasn't the most friendly man but to be extra nice to him. He tried to get her to understand that Belle may not be able to eat with them but Grace was determined to get her out the door. She promised she'd be on her best behavior.

He should have known better.

The office door was opened when they got to it. Jefferson knocked lightly and peeked inside. "Hello," he said, a million kilowatt smile lighting his face.

Belle looked up at the sound of his voice. She tensed up for a moment. He could tell she didn't want him to cause trouble for her. She didn't want to lose this opportunity. But Grace squealed Belle's name and slipped past Jefferson to throw her arms around her. It was a good thing that the petite brunette was sitting down, otherwise she might have been knocked over.

"Hi, precious," the older girl greeted her, giving her an awkward hug since she still had a stack of papers in each hands. She gave her a kiss on the cheek. He couldn't help but notice the way Belle's face light up whenever she was talking to Grace.

"We brought you lunch!" Grace said happily.

"I can see that, but aren't you supposed to be in school?" She carefully set the papers down on the desk as Grace slipped from her grip to look at Mr. Gold. "Hello, I'm Grace Hatter." She offered him her hand. Mr. Gold didn't miss a beat as he shook her hand, though his face showed a bit of reluctance.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Hatter. I'm Professor Randal Gold." He gave her hand a little shake before releasing it.

"Do you know that you're keeping, Belle from seeing me?" She asked him in a way only a ten year old with her adorable face could get away with.

"Grace!" Jefferson and Belle scowled together.

Belle ushered her towards her father. She gave Professor Gold an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Professor Gold. She just misses me."

Professor Gold cleared his throat and nodded to her. "I'm sorry I've been keeping her from you, Ms. Hatter. I'll make sure not to keep her so late from now on." He laced his fingers together, resting them on the papers he had been working on.

"You do that," Grace said with a smile. She moved away from her father, looking around the room.

"I didn't know if you could take a break now…" Jefferson said uncertainly, looking between Belle and the professor.

"Oh… I don't know… there's still a lot of work to be done." Belle said, glancing over at Professor Gold. He didn't seem to have heard her.

His brown eyes were focused on the littlest Hatter. She was inspecting different artifacts. "What's this?" She picked up a very old chipped cup. The painting of it had begun to fall off.

"No! No! Put that down please!" He nearly barked at the poor girl. It was a wonder she didn't drop it out of fright. He gave a shaky sigh when she put it down. The moment she left he would inspect it for any damage she may have caused.

"Sorry." Grace grumbled, turning around. Her elbow knocked into the very same orb Belle almost destroyed.

Professor Gold tensed up. A gasp escaped his lips. Jefferson was next to his daughter by now. He managed to catch the priceless piece of history before it shattered on the floor. "Out!" The professor shouted as the father put the orb back in his proper pace. Belle had joined his side, scooping up Grace before she could do more harm.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Gold," Grace apologized, sounding desperate.

"Just go. Eat your lunch… Just get _her_ out of here," he growled. Grace whimpered. Belle sighed and led the way out.

* * *

"You should tell your little boyfriend to make sure his daughter keeps her hands to herself," Professor Gold growled at Belle as she entered his office.

"You ass!" Belle snapped at her professor as she slammed the door behind her. "She's only ten! Sure, she touched your precious little trinkets but she didn't break anything! You had no right to shout at her!"

"I didn't shout at her. I just told all of you to get out."

"Yes, you shoved us all out the door and everyone in this building could have heard you!" She said.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes but didn't respond.

"Jefferson brought you some lunch, too, by the way." Belle threw the bag onto his desk, hoping she squashed the sandwich in the process.

"It's probably poisoned," Gold snapped.

Her hands balled into fists at her side. "Next time, I'll make sure it is."

"There won't be a next time."

"No, there won't." She spun on her heels, collected her stuff & headed for the door. "Good luck finishing your office."

"Where are you going?" leftover rage tinting his voice. Belle's answer was to slam the office door behind her.

* * *

Thank you everyone for all your lovely reviews! I just finished this this morning so there might be come mistakes still left in there. I wanted this up in time for the Six Month Anniversary of Skin Deep and I got my wish! I will try updating this again sooner than I did this time!


	4. Being Free

Professor Gold knew when he made a mistake. Sure, they both had been at fault in some ways but he wouldn't go crawling to her. He wouldn't beg her for forgiveness. He thought perhaps Belle would come back on Monday. After she apologized, he would admit his wrong doing and tell her he was sorry. Hell, if she asked, he would even apologize to the little girl. He drew the line at Jefferson. He drew the line at Jefferson. The thought of him and his Belle…

No, not _his_ Belle.

Belle was a student. Her conversation was what he craved, not her. The brunette held no other appeal. Not her creamy skin, not those supple breasts that teased him when she stretched. Nope. Nothing there.

He had other things to do than follow around the much younger girl like a lost puppy dog.

Waking up early was not something Randal ever did. Staying in bed as long as possible was what he preferred. But on Monday morning he was out of bed before his alarm even had a chance to sound. The professor was determined to make it to his office before she did and he did manage to get there by eight. He didn't know why but he dressed up for her, adding a tie to his usual slacks and button down shirt. She never saw him though because she didn't show up to his office or to class that day.

'_Fine if she's too angry to come to my office, I'll just catch her after class.'_ he assured himself.

Only Belle French didn't show up to class either.

When Belle didn't show up for class, he went snooping into her student records. She was on scholarship and still needed loans to pay for school. Her father owned '_Game of Thorns'_, the flower shop. It didn't look like he made much profit at all. She received one of her scholarships for writing a short story about a girl who was coping with the loss of her mother. It was a gut wrenching story that hit him a little too close to home. In further inspection of her file, he found information about her mother who lost a seven year battle with ovarian cancer. Mrs. French died when Belle was only fourteen. He felt a new sense of sympathy for the girl who must have only memories of an ill mother.

Professor Gold put the records away. It wasn't right for him to find out these things like this. She would be the one to tell him. Maybe if he could mend their friendship, Belle would tell him some day.

That was if Randal could ever get her to speak to him again. Deducing from her records that she didn't need his class for her major, he found she did need it for her scholarships. He could either wait until she showed back up or he could seek her out himself.

He decided on option two.

Thursday morning he went to Granny's diner and got himself his usual and even managed to order Belle a drink, at least he hoped it was her right drink. After a week of her coming in hyped up on her lattes, he had to ask what was in it. A vanilla latte with extra whipped cream was her order. Sometimes she even got an extra shot of espresso. He decided against it today since she was working with delicate vases and flowers.

With his peace offering in tow, he walked to the flower shop. He remained across the street as he sipped his drink. The professor must have stood there for ten minutes before Belle came up front. Her chestnut curls were pulled up into a bun on top her head, a few ringlets had fallen loose. She wore a light yellow t-shirt with the store's logo over the breast. The jeans she wore were the same ones she was wearing the day he met her. A green apron was wrapped around her slim waist. In her arms were a bundle of flowers, she placed them down on the counter next to a vase.

One by one she added the flowers. A smile lit up her face. That smile made him lose all his nerve. He knew the moment he stepped inside that smile would be replaced by a scowl.

Professor Gold couldn't watch anymore. He turned and left, throwing away the two drinks. Disappointment weighed on him as he limped away. A sharp pain radiated out from his hurt leg. He had to lean on his cane quite heavily.

What's a little physical pain to add to his emotional ones?

No one dared come close to him for the rest of Thursday and Friday. He snapped at almost everyone that he came across. If people didn't like him before, now they loathed him. None of his students dared utter a word in his presence. They were having massive study groups after class to avoid talking to him.

On Saturday night, he found himself at one of Storybrooke's newest establishments, a karaoke bar called the _Howling Moon_. How on earth did that damned woman get him to come there? The stage had a wall papered full moon behind the amateur singers. The moon covered most of the wall but it couldn't even show the whole thing. He preferred drinking in his own home. He didn't like paying outrageous prices and getting watered down liquor, not to mention he didn't need to worry about over drinking and finding a way home afterward.

He had been there an hour and a half in their usual booth off in a dark corner. Glancing down at his phone, he was beginning to suspect he'd been stood up. Why would she call him and let him know that he came down there in vain? Drowning the rest of his whiskey, he slammed down the glass. He was starting to stand when he heard her voice. Belle.

He gazed up at her in rapture. This was not a song he would have expected her to choose. Curiously, he listened to the song she'd chosen, having never heard it before. It sounded like something out of the 60s, an era he was always fond of. At that young age, he grew up watching shows that showcased women in a strong, superior light. All the actresses in those spy films were a classic kind of sexy. Femme fatales were what they called. This song embodied that idea. In that moment, Belle could have killed him with just a look. He would have died a happy man.

He couldn't help but notice all of her movements. She looked nothing like herself. Confidence seemed to pour out from her very pores. The sway of her hips, the way she pointed into the audience during the chorus. Her movements were feline, and he suddenly flashed back to his boyhood crush Catwoman. Julie Newmar had never looked half as sultry as Belle. He'd love to make her purr.

Even her clothes weren't like her normal self. She wore an off- white, strapless, lace dress that clung to her every curve. Gold on her wrists and ears glowed. A faint dusting of something on her shoulders, made her look all the more luminescent. Her eyes were larger and cat-like, her lips were the color of a dark, ripe raspberry. He wondered if they tasted like one too.

He gulped, sinking back into the booth before he lost the ability to stand. Her voice surprised him. There was something about her voice that sounded so… suggestive. The words of the song made him hope she had chosen it for him, even if she didn't know he was there.

The way her voice caressed the words made warmth pool in the pit of his stomach, and he was quite relieved to have a table hiding his attraction to her. She wouldn't be able to spot him from where he sat that gave him enough time to relax and get up enough courage to go talk to her.

Howls and cat calls commenced as the song ended. He wouldn't admit it but he had joined in once or twice. A familiar blush crossed her face. She gave a small little curtsy as she put the microphone back into its holder. She hurried off the stage.

Before she could even make it down the stairs, a man had his arms around her. Professor Gold started to get up to interfere until he saw her reaction. She squealed, wrapping her arms around the man's neck as he twirled her around. The man never let her feet touch the ground as he carried her over to the bar and sat her down on a stool. She straightened her skirt and smiled at him.

It was only now that he could see it was Jefferson. He clenched his teeth at that. He bet that fool had been the one keeping her away from class. He remained over in his corner, biding his time as he watched her.

* * *

Belle was glad she let her friends convince her to take her out. Ruby had called dibs on her earlier. Of course, the waitress had to be there while she was getting ready. Insisting she get to give Belle one of her "rub-i-fications', the raven haired beauty had also been the one to pick out her dress, accessories, and do her makeup. Everything had to be perfect otherwise she would start all over.

It was a miracle that Ruby had been happy with the results the first time through. The only touch up she decided Belle needed was to apply silver body glitter- to match her dress and out the gold- to the parts of her body that was showing. Belle tried to object, saying she didn't want to look like some sparkling vampire, but Ruby wouldn't have a word of it.

All in all, Belle decided she didn't look like a _Twilight_ wannabe at all. She looked like some sort of mythical creature, perhaps a fairy or a siren. Well, without the wings or tail.

The birthday girl wasn't surprised to see Mary Margaret, David, Dr. Hopper, and her father at her dinner before they went to the karaoke bar. Even Grace was allowed to come. She was especially surprised to hear Dr. Hopper agreed to come to the karaoke bar. Once they open presents and ate, Grace left with Belle's father and everyone else made their way to the bar.

It being her twenty first birthday, no one had qualms getting Belle to try different drinks. Ruby, especially, found it amusing to see her best friend get drunk. Archie kept handing her water to drink. He was the only one who seemed to want to make sure she didn't have a hangover in the morning. She had to admit she appreciated his concern. If she left it up to Ruby and Jefferson, tomorrow would be miserable.

Emma and a few other friends ended up coming after a while. Ruby, always with more nerves than anyone else, was up first.

After a few drinks, Belle agreed to go up there as well. She wasn't the greatest singer in the world but she always found it fun. She may not be able to hit all the right notes, but she loved it. Some songs were even fun to sing off key and as loud as possible.

She had no idea why she picked the song she did. Perhaps it was the alcohol's doing, she felt sexy and she wanted to show the world just how stimulating she could be. Tomorrow she would probably be embarrassed, especially after Ruby shows her the footage she was obviously recording from her camera phone. In her mind, she imagined Professor Gold sitting in the audience. She sang for him. If it hadn't been for his stupid anger, she could still be his assistant and talk to him.

Belle still couldn't understand what it was about that man that attracted her so much but also infuriated her. His quibs were meant to push her away, but she quickly learned to see through them. They weren't usually directed at her. But she couldn't believe how he acted with Grace. That was one thing she wouldn't forgive him for.

She had been dreading class week. Belle had been so nervous that she resorted to biting her nails, something she thought she had grown out of when she was fifteen. Jefferson felt bad about the whole situation but he felt even worse, seeing how upset Belle was. Every day before class that way he would drag her away from the building and get her mind off Professor Gold. She would show showed up for the review sessions with the other students directly after class in the cafeteria.

Jefferson greeted her the moment she started to climb off the stage. She was breathless and couldn't believe she had just done that. "Was I okay?" she asked in his ear.

"You were amazing, Belle!" He told her, spinning around. She squealed, letting him carry her over to the bar. He supported her with his arms around her middle.

"I didn't know you had that in you!" Ruby squealed as Jefferson put Belle down on her stool.

"Thank you! You really think I was good?" She asked, a blush touching her cheeks. She pulled at the hem of her dress. It was a little shorter than she was used to.

"Yes! You were so good!" Mary Margaret chimed in, stealing a hug. "I can't imagine ever doing anything like that."

David and Mary Margaret went up after a few more times. The duet they did was incredible sappy. Belle thought it was adorable while Ruby rolled her eyes at the love birds. The next to go up was Ruby and then Jefferson.

By now Belle was on her fourth drink. She had just ordered a tequila shot when someone slipped into the chair next to her. "Your best whiskey on the rocks." The Scottish voice told the bartender. She instantly froze. "Fancy to see you here, dearie."

'_How on earth did he find me?'_ she asked herself as she slowly turned to face him. Something inside of her was thrilled at the idea of him finding her here. Another part of her was equally terrified. "I do believe I fit in here better than you." She replied, hoping he couldn't tell she was nervous.

He chuckled at that. "I suppose you're right about that." A smile appeared on his lips.

Her heart did a little flip flop. She couldn't remember ever seeing him smile at anyone else. "What are you doing here, Professor Gold?" she asked him after a few moments.

The smirk that appeared on his face could only be described as mischievous. "What? Are you worried I've been following you? It would be the only way I could actually speak to you. You haven't bothered showing up for my classes after all."

"No, I don't." She pursed her lips. "I'm sorry I didn't come to class but I thought you could use your space. You seemed awfully livid the last time we spoke."

"As were you, dearie," he reminded her.

"Well, yes… But I was perfectly justified. You scared Grace!" She said stubbornly.

He gave a sigh and nodded. "Yes, I' am sorry for scaring the child. She wasn't doing any more harm than you did."

"You really should apologize to her…Wait, what harm that _I_ did?" She turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure that 18th century vase will ever be the same." He said, trying to feign being distraught.

She knew him too well to be bothered by his remark, but she wasn't quite ready to forgive him yet. "That vase didn't even touch the floor. I consider it a feat considering I was juggling half of your library at the time."

"Touche, Miss French. Any time you wish to bring Grace by I will be happy to apologize. As long as her father doesn't come along." A smirk played on his lips.

"I don't think Jefferson will go for that. He's protective. Her mother, she died in childbirth and Jefferson and I, we're all Grace's got." She explained, pushing a curl behind her ear.

Gold's face looked stricken. "Poor child, I'm sorry to hear that."

She nodded, turning away from him for a moment to watch as Jefferson ended his song. She watched him as he climbed down the stage, cheering though not as enthusiastic after the turn of conversation. She'd definitely not expected what happen next to accure. The moment he was on solid ground, Ruby was all over him. She kissed him with a passion only that girl could muster. Belle nearly fell off her stool in shock, her face warming from embarrassment at witnessing such an intimate moment. Glancing away, she spotted Archie watching the pair on the dance floor and her heart broke a little for him. She had long suspected that Archie may have liked her vivacious friend but she hadn't asked.

"So how's your boyfriend doing?" Professor Gold asked, he was sipping some of his whiskey that had just arrived. He hadn't seen the little drama going on just off stage.

"Oh _he's_ doing _great_," She said, waving her hand in the direction of the two locking lips. She wasn't jealous of them. In fact, she was glad Jefferson got a chance to be happy.

He leaned back so he could look past her to where she pointed. "Oh." Leaning forward, he told her. He glanced over at her with the most peculiar look as if he wasn't sure if he should feel sympathy for her of laugh. Pressing his lips together, he tried not to laugh.

"Jefferson, isn't my boyfriend." She rolled her eyes at his assumption. "He's my best friend." Smiling at her teacher, she continued. "I want him to be happy, he deserves it. Ruby is amazing and she would be so good for him."

"Well, good then. Cheers to them?" He raised his glass in toast.

"Cheers to them," she said with a grin. "And cheers to me and my birthday." Belle licked her hand and sprinkled some salt on it. Lifting her shot glass, she touched hers glass to his, licked the salt off her hand and threw back her shot. The liquid burned her throat. She slammed the glass down on the bar and picked up the lime, sucking on it.

He watched her every move as she took her shot before finally drowning the last of his drink. She had to admit it was a nice feeling knowing he couldn't take his eyes off her. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear. "Happy birthday, Belle." His hot breathe sent shivers down her spine.

"Thank you, Professor Gold." She said softly. She didn't know it if it was the alcohol or if it was something else that was creating the tension in between them. She turned her head towards him a little. Her eyes memorized the shape of his mouth before looking up into his eyes. It wasn't until this moment that she realized that her professor's brown eyes seemed bottomless.

"Call me Randal."

He brought his hand to cup her cheek, sliding back into her hair a little. Her breathe caught at his touch. There was something inside of her that screamed for this but another part of her knew it was wrong. She didn't care, this was everything she wanted. He leaned forward a little but hesitated before their lips met as if to ask her permission. She closed the distance between them.

Her hands slipped inside his jacket, resting on his sides and gripping his shirt as she moved closer to him. It was hard to do when they were both on stools. His hand slipped further into her hair as he crushed his lips into hers. His other hand snaked around her small waist as he slipped off his stool to press up against her.

Belle shifted in her seat so her legs were parted so he could fully press up against her. She had been dreaming of what it would be like to kiss him for almost two weeks now. This was better than she could have imagined. His lips parted and his tongue licked her lips. She hoped from his moan that he licked the taste of her very berry lip gloss. Opening her mouth, she sought out his tongue with her own. The whiskey that was still left on his lips burned her. She shivered in response, giving a groan of her own.

* * *

'_I must be cursed.'_ Jefferson thought to himself. He did everything to try to make this birthday perfect for Belle. After the rough week she had he was glad to see her so happy. He never imagined he'd get anything in return. He didn't even want a thank you. After all, it was the least he could do for their years of friendship. Not to mention, ruining her chance to have Professor Gold help her with her story. But that didn't stop him from trying to impress Belle.

He knew there was no way he could top the performance she did on stage. Her performance was too amazing to describe accurately. A new desire for her bubbled up. He wanted her with every fiber of his body but tonight wasn't the night. Maybe if he bided his time for just a few more days, he could really show her how much he loved her. Sex wasn't what he wanted from her. He just wanted to really make her see he loved her. He'd build her a house by hand if it would please her.

He chose a song that he knew he could sing well. One that he knew Belle loved. He put his all into the song. But when he looked over to where Belle was sitting, there was an all too familiar face there. His heart squeezed. He could almost see his future with Belle being taken away, piece by piece.

Professor Gold was with her and completely distracting her from watching him. He wanted to throttle the man for taking Belle's attention but she looked so happy. Still, his enthusiasm dropped a little as he ended the song.

Jefferson handed his mic off to the next guy as he stepped off stage. What happened next threw him through a loop. Ruby walked over to him to tell him he was good, or at least he thought that what she was going to do. Instead, her lips captured his in a heated kiss. One he was only too happy to return with the thought of Belle's lips against his. It had been a long time since he was kissed like this.

His hands rested on her hips. He pulled away as he realized who he had been kissing. One, it wasn't Belle. Two it was Ruby, someone he knew his friend Archie liked. He licked his lips, nervously as he looked over at Archie.

The psychiatrist looked completely devastated. He couldn't tell if Archie wanted to throttle him or break down in tears. "Sorry Rubs." Jefferson said, moving over to his friend. He wiped his mouth to remove any lipstick left behind by her. "I'm so sorry Archie. It's not what you think. I didn't realize she was going to do that… I shouldn't have kissed her back. It shouldn't have happened." He told his friend.

Archie could only nod as he took a drink from his glass. He didn't look reassured by Jefferson's words.

Jefferson's night was only going downhill. Belle was off, talking to Mr. Gold, Ruby kissed him, which hurt his friend. He spent another five minute trying to cheer Archie up and get him to go on stage when he caught sight of Belle.

Professor Gold was too close to her. Belle wasn't pushing him away. Though he noticed signs that she might have liked the older man, she never thought she would act on them. '_Maybe she's just too scared of him to push him away?'_ he told himself. Nope, wrong again. She was turning her body more towards him as he stood to properly kiss her.

'_This is not happening… This is not happening.'_ His mind repeated as he stomped over to the bar. He didn't know what gave him the courage to interrupt them. He just hoped that she was a little too intoxicated and she'd thank him in the morning.

Jefferson cleared his throat. The pair immediately detached themselves from each other. Professor Gold looked livid while Belle looked like she was mortified. "It's nice to see you again, Professor Gold. I didn't expect to see you here." He said offering his hand to him.

The other man looked like he could punch him but he decided against him as he took the younger man's hand. He gave a warning squeeze. Jefferson returned it. He wouldn't be intimidated by him.

"Yes, I was just saying to Ms. French how it was a happy coincidence." The professor said with a tight smile.

Belle pulled at the hem of her skirt which had risen when she very nearly wrapped her legs around Mr. Gold's waist. "Yes. He didn't know it was my birthday." She caught Jefferson's eye. It was clearly a look that told him to leave, but he stayed put.

"Really?" He said with a smile. "You'll be happy to learn your assistant just turned twenty one." Reminding him how much older he was than Belle.

"Quite a big year," he nodded, smiling at Belle. "I should probably be going, dearie. But I'll see you at my office on Monday?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "Yes, of course. Drive safe."

"Oh yes, do be careful getting home." Jefferson practically growled as he watched the retreating figure.

After Mr. Gold was out of earshot, Belle smacked him in the arm. "What the hell was that?" Standing up, she practically growled, "What on earth were you thinking?"

He gave a laugh. "What was I thinking? I was not the one kissing my teacher!"

She rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what I was doing. I wanted to kiss him. Did you ever think of that? You had no right to do that."

"No right to stop you when I think you're making a big mistake? He could get fired and you could lose all your scholarships, Belle!" Scoffing, he couldn't believe that she was pissed at him. He was only trying to protect her.

She sighed. She must know he was right, he hoped. "It's my life, Jeffers." She told him softly and with that she walked over to Ruby. Belle didn't stay too much longer leaving with Mary Margaret well before midnight. In his near future, there would be lots of begging to get back into her good graces.

Jefferson sat at the bar, getting a little more drunk than he meant to. As he mulled it over, maybe he shouldn't be the one the one to apologize. He had only meant to protect her after all. Hoping it wouldn't come down to the ruin of their friendship, he paid the tab and headed out the door. The single father used the fresh air to sober him up as he chose to take the long walk back to his house. He didn't know what he would do but wanted to resolve this. Belle was someone he couldn't live without.

* * *

Thank you for all my readers and reviewers! I loooove getting reviews. They make me very happy so don't be shy! This chapter turned out so much longer than I expected. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be starting school next week but I'll try to keep my updates fairly regular. Hopefully I can squeeze out chapter five before it starts.


	5. Shattered Glass

Sunday brought on a new war. She woke up on Mary Margaret's couch with a terrible hangover. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as it could have been, thanks to Archie's watchful eye. The light pouring in from the window woke her up. As she stared up at the white ceiling, the memories from the night before started coming.

'_Oh my god. I did not kiss my professor,'_ she thought as she scrambled out off the couch. The blankets that had been keeping her warm now kept her from walking. She fell to the floor with an 'oof'. Belle silently cursed, kicking the blankets away from her.

She glanced into Emma's room as she passed, the sheriff already left for work. "Mary Margaret!" Belle called as she pushed through the school teacher's door. The first thing her eyes found was David's naked ass. "Oh god!" Her hand quickly covered her eyes and she turned her back to them. "I'm so sorry!"

"Belle!" Mary Margaret gasped from the direction of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"It's okay. I have to go anyways." David said. She could hear what must be him fumbling around with clothes.

"Sorry, David I didn't know you were here." Belle apologized again, blushing.

He chuckled, patting her on the shoulder to let her know it was okay to look. "It's okay you were pretty out of it last night. I had to carry you from the car. You fell asleep."

As she took her hand down from her eyes, she could see his smirk. "I was that bad?" she couldn't help but ask.

He nodded. "Yup. Welcome to adulthood," he told her, ruffling her hair.

Belle could only imagine how bad she looked. Glancing over, she was glad to see Mary Margaret at least was fully dressed in bed. She moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. David came over and gave his girlfriend a kiss before heading out the door. Belle tried to keep her eyes away from him, still embarrassed over the seeing him in such a compromising state.

"Have a good day, girls," he told them with a smile, heading out the door.

Mary Margaret grinned as she called out bye. Belle could only manage a halfhearted smile. The ebony haired girl could sense there was something her friend wanted to talk about. She reached out and touched her arm. "You okay?"

Belle chewed her lip as she looked over at Mary Margaret. "I'm having some trouble remembering all of last night… What happened?"

"Well, we left early. I think you might have had a fight with Jefferson but you didn't really want to talk about it," she admitted.

Groaning, Belle let herself fall back on the bed. She covered up her face. The shade only made her headache slightly more bearable. "Was… was Professor Gold there?" her voice was barely audible.

"Who?" Mary Margaret asked, petting the brunette's wild hair to soothingly.

"You know… walks with a limp, has a cane, long hair that's brown but also has a little bit of gray in it…" Belle listed. Silently she continued to describe him, '_Much older than me with the darkest brown eyes I've ever seen and not to mention, completely gorgeous. Why is he so incredible sexy?'_

Mary Margaret was silent so long that Belle moved her arm to peek over at her. "You know, I do remember seeing him. I saw you talking to him while Jefferson was singing. After that I'm not sure, David and I were dancing."

'_Fuck he was there!'_ Belle's mind was racing with the memories of the night before. She could almost feel his lips on hers. "You didn't see anything else?" She didn't know if she wanted Mary to have seen the kiss or not.

"No, not until after we danced and you were arguing with Jefferson… Do you remember anything?"

Belle shook her head no.

"I'm sorry sweetie. Maybe Ruby knows something?" Mary suggested.

Oh, Ruby did know something. She came over a few hours later and showed both of them the video she shot of Belle's song. The birthday girl wanted to die. She certainly didn't want to face Professor Gold if he had been there and watched that. She left with Ruby a few hours later and that's when she found out the kiss had not just been in her imagination. Ruby teased her all the way home before she started berating her with questions about Jefferson. Belle was happy to escape into the house she shared with her father. She climbed right back in bed, contemplating whether or not to ditch Professor Gold's class for one more day.

But the next day, Belle did go to class. As she walked through the grounds, the wind seemed to pick up. In the distance, she could see clouds rolling in. The weatherman spoke of a little rain that was supposed to come through. Storms hit their little town all the time but this was a tropical storm. He down played his severity but Belle couldn't help the odd feeling she got about it.

Even the wind seemed to want to contradict him as it blew her hair around on her way across campus. She made it to his office early, bringing their usual drinks. She didn't know what made her do it. On one hand, she hoped that maybe they could work something out and develop a relationship after that kiss. On the other hand, he was her teacher and they definitely should keep things professional. But there was just something that left her wanting to get to know him better. She wanted to know everything about him. She didn't want to be just his friend.

Belle showed up around nine due to the fact that he never managed to get to his office early. The brunette leaned against the wall as she sipped her drink. By the time he finally showed up, she was nearly done with it. She straightened up as he came closer, smiling, "Good morning."

Professor Gold looked relieved to see her. "Well hello, dearie." He flashed one of his rare smiles at her before he hid it behind the coffee he sipped.

Belle's face fell. "Oh… you have coffee," she pointed out while holding up the coffee she got him.

He looked surprised by her gift. "Let's go inside," he said. As he unlocked the door, his hand shook a little. She gave a nod. He opened the door and held it so she could walk in before him. She could tell he was nervous by the way he wiped his hands on his pants as if they were sweaty, but she wasn't sure how to put him at ease. He shifted back and forth on his feet before he finally decided to lean on his cane.

"Look, Belle," he said, as he shut the door behind him. "I hope you don't think that Saturday changed anything between us-"

Belle cut him off before he could get any further. "Of course I don't. I just wanted to bring you this as an apology." She smiled in reassurance.

"Oh… well thank you." He moved over to his desk. She set his extra coffee on his desk and took a seat in her usual spot.

Belle found plenty to do that day. She finished filing most of his papers and moved on to his pictures. For a man who didn't like to get his picture taken – well, as far as she could tell- he certainly had a lot of them. His diplomas and awards were easy to find homes for. He had plenty of room for them on the walls, where she carefully arranged them. With each frame, she found out a little more about her sullen professor.

In the last box of pictures, Belle's find was perplexing. As far as she knew, Professor Gold didn't have a family but the deeper she delved, the more pictures she found of a boy. There were about fifteen in total, ranging from when he was only a few hours old to about fourteen. In the first picture, Randal had his arms around a tired but beautiful woman and was looking down at them with such love in his eyes. In the next picture, he stood with his arm around the boy as held up a science fair award. Baden Gold was written in cursive script. The father looked so proud while his boy looked sheepish. She could see the boy had many of his father's attributes, his silky hair for instance.

Professor Gold looked so much younger in this picture. Belle couldn't imagine this had been taken in the past few years, but still she couldn't find any other picture of an older boy. She couldn't help but wonder what happened.

Picking up the picture of the happy family, Belle got up off the floor and headed towards his desk. She set it down and moved some papers out of the way. Before she knew it, there was a shattering sound. The ruined picture frame lay broke on the floor.

"Oh god!" She dropped to her knees, careful to avoid the broken class. She picked up the photograph with delicate fingers. "Thank the lord," she mumbled as she examined the photograph. The photo appeared to be undamaged.

She placed the picture on the desk and was about to starting cleaning up the mess when she saw a newspaper nestled within the glass. As she examined it, she felt nauseated. It was an obituary. Constance Gold died in a car wreck. She had only been thirty; Baeden was two when she died.

Hearing the door open, Belle looked up from the paper. Randal was reading today's edition of the newspaper. Not noticing anything was wrong, he moved over to his desk but stopped when he heard the crunch of the glass under his feet. Stepping back, he looked down to see her on the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked, offering his hand to help her up.

"Yes," she said, taking his hand and pulling herself up. "I'm sorry. I knocked the picture off your desk. I was trying to clear some space for it." She continued on, promising she'd clean up the mess and replace the picture frame she broke but he spotted the newspaper clipping in her hand. Noticing where he was looking, she quickly handed it over.

Randal's jaw was clenched. He didn't look at her as he maneuvered around the mess and took a seat behind his desk. His hand opened one of his drawers. The article in his hands along with the picture went into it. He promptly locked it. "Don't worry about the picture frame," he said, "Your clumsiness has been budgeted for."

Belle hesitated in front of his desk. Even though she knew he was just lashing out at her because of what she did, his words stung. Every fiber of her being wanted to reach out and comfort him, but there was also a part of her that wanted to ask him about it. "I know it's not my place," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully, "but I'm so sorry about your wife."

He gave a nod, but his brown eyes were locked on the paper. "Thank you." His voice was abrasive.

"Can I ask what happened to Baeden?" she asked, her finger tips resting on the edge of his desk as she leaned forward.

"You can, but you won't get an answer," Randal said, meeting her gaze. His eyes held such anger. She was almost afraid he'd lash out at her. "Don't you have a mess to clean?" he said each word carefully so she would know to leave him alone.

Belle gave a small nod, swallowing nervously. She worked in silence, cleaning up all the glass. When she finished and started to move the other boxes, he told her to go home for the day. She could tell he just wanted to be alone so she quickly gathered up her things and headed out the door.

Only Belle didn't go home. The library was closing early just in case the storm was worse than was told but she still had a few hours to find what she was looking for. She waved at the librarian as she entered. This wasn't the first time Belle had visited- she always found a reason to go- but her visits had been less frequent as of late. She stopped at the desk.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." Mrs. Potts said with a smile. Her white hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head. There was something so familiar about this woman but Belle knew she never met before. She was a plump little ole thing. If she ever needed be cheered up, Mrs. Potts was the woman to go to.

Belle smiled at her and nodded. "Sorry it's been so long since I've been here," she told the woman, leaning across the desk to give her a one armed hug. "I just came in to use the computers."

"Well, you know where they are. Come and get me if you need anything," Mrs. Potts said to Belle and waved her off in that direction.

Belle wasn't surprised at how empty the library was. This was the day and age where everyone found everything online in the comfort of their own homes; even Belle was guilty of that some days. But not today. She loved everything about the library, the sound of the humming air conditioner, the smell of old books, even the sound new books made when they were opened for the first time.

There was only one computer occupied. She took a seat at the other end, closer to the deepest part of the library. She'd get the most privacy this way.

She quickly found her way to the internet. All she really had to go on was their names. When she typed Mrs. Gold's name into the search bar, she wasn't surprised to see that there were plenty of Constance Gold's. She narrowed down the search by adding Storybrooke. She didn't know for sure if they had lived here before, but it was all she had to go on.

There was only one Constance Gold from Storybrooke. The first thing to pop up was an obituary. It was the same as the one she found in the picture frame but there was a picture included. The picture was of a cross set up with the backdrop of a lake. There were bouquets of flowers, candles, and picture frames set up in front of it.

The next was a report describing how the police suspected there was something wrong with her brakes. They found no skid marks to suggest she hit the brakes. Foul play was suspected but the police would not comment if Mr. Gold was a suspect in his wife's death. They went on to describe how Mr. Gold was at the hospital with his son when the accident occurred.

None of the other links provided anymore clues into what happened to the late Mrs. Gold. Her next search was for Baeden. His name was so unique it didn't take time to find the correct one. But what she found shocked her more than how Constance died. The first news article she ran across was of Baeden's disappearance.

'_April 5__th__ 2005: The tragic disappearance of Baeden Gold has rocked the little town of Storybrooke to its core. One week ago Randal Gold, a professor of Archeology at University of Storybrooke, awoke to find his son's bed empty and the window open. It is unsure whether or not Baeden was taken or if he ran away on his own. Police are handling the situation as if the young boy of fourteen was abducted. During questioning with police, Baeden's father did admit to having an argument with him. Professor Gold is not a suspect in his son's disappearance. But this is not the first tragedy to befall the Gold household. In 1993, Constance Gold, Baeden's mother, died in a car crash.'_

The article went along to talk about how to contact police if any information was found out. Belle went back to the main page and continued to search. She found different missing poster. A few of the more recent ones gave an idea of what he would look like now. Eventually she learned that the status of his case was changed to a probable runaway.

She went back to search for anything on when Baeden was in the hospital as a baby but there was nothing. She had more questions than answers. The sudden clap of thunder startled her out of her thoughts. The lights and computers turned off. For a moment Belle was blinded by the sudden darkness. Before she could fumble to find her phone, the emergency lights clicked on.

Glancing around her, she found the library completely empty except for Mrs. Potts. Her phone told her it was after seven. "I'm so sorry I made you stay this long," Belle told her, quickly gathering up all her things.

"It's quite all right, dear." Mrs. Potts told her, standing up with her purse.

"Thanks. Let me walk you to your car," she offered, meeting her near the entrance.

The elderly woman tried to protest but gave in after another boom. "Well, I suppose that's not a terrible idea."

Belle helped her lock up and then left with her. She pulled out her umbrella and they huddled under it together, Mrs. Potts clinging to her arm so she wouldn't slip and fall. Belle helped Mrs. Potts into her car and made sure she was driving before she hurried off to the student parking lot.

Soaked up to her ankles, she finally made it to her car. She tossed the umbrella into the floor board on the passenger side and started the car. At first it didn't want to cooperate. Her car was very erratic in when it wanted to work. "Come on baby. You can do it," she encouraged her rust bucket.

She turned the key again. It stuttered and then purred to life. "That's a good boy. I knew you could do it!" She grinned, buckling herself in.

Storms always made her car act up. She drove slow, not giving her car the chance to skid at all. The only problem was the storm was getting worse by the minute.

"Almost home. You can do it," she mumbled. By now she was in the woods. There was nothing but trees in her vision. If something happened she'd be stuck for hours.

Her house was another fifteen minutes away. Jefferson's house was closer but she didn't want to face him just yet. Not until she remembered what really happened between them.

She slowed the car as she turned a corner. What she didn't see was a dip in the road that held a large puddle. The water was deep enough to flood the engine but she managed to make it through the dip. Her car stuttered to a stop.

"You've got to be kidding me," she moaned, putting her car into park. She turned on her emergency lights.

Rain beat against the outside of her car. Smoke started to spill out from under the hood. She shut off the car just in case.

Belle's phone didn't have service due to the storm. She didn't want to get out of the car but she didn't see a way around it. Grabbing her umbrella, she pushed the door opened and got out of the car. The wind whipped around her, threatening to rip her umbrella away. She managed to hold on it as she walked around to the car.

Undoing the latch, she struggled to open the hood with only one hand. The steam from the engine stung her skin but it wasn't enough to cause any burns. As she was trying to raise the lever to hold up the hood, a gust of wind hit her with such force she was nearly knocked over. The hood slipped out of her grasp and slammed shut. Her umbrella was ripped out of her hands and sent flying down the road. Her headlights weren't enough to break through the darkness and find where it went. The rain drops reflected her headlights back to her as if mocking her.

Cursing under her breath, Belle opened the hood again. This time she managed to keep it opened long enough to put the lever in place. It was too dark to make out much. She pulled out her cell, using as a flashlight, at least it had some use.

Belle had knowledge of a lot of things due to her vase reading collection. She made it a point to read up on cars after hers first started acting up. It was a used car, what more could she really expect? From what she could tell there was nothing out of place. The engine had just been flooded which caused it to overheat. Then if you add on the hundreds of other things she really couldn't afford to get fixed, it was a death trap. It was cheaper to get another car. Well. That was if she had a decent wage. Her father couldn't pay her much. She was lucky when she got minimum wage. The other employees came first since she was really only "helping out".

Her phone faded to black to conserve battery. She slipped it back in her pocket. By now she was completely soaked to the bone. This was a warm rain, but she still shivered. She decided to leave the hood up to let it cool off faster. Maybe in an hour she could try it again. She could only hope that would be enough.

She was coming around the side of the car to climb back in when a pair of headlights blinded her. A car was coming straight for her. She didn't have much time to react. She threw herself up against her car, pressing her body into the hot metal as close as she could get. Squeezing her eyes shut, Belle prayed.

* * *

Thank you all for all the views and reviews. I love getting reviews so please don't be shy! Seriously I want to hear from you. The next chapter might be a little high up on the ratings. I'm warning you now. For anyone who wants a pg version private message me here or on tumblr at sparrowluvr2. I'll make you a special edit. :)

Love Laura!


	6. Painful Memories and Secret Kisses

It was plain to see that Randal wasn't in the best of moods. Constance and Baeden were two things he kept hidden in the safety of his house. Everyone asked too many questions about them. Those questions he wished to avoid at all cost. It was a relief to find Belle waiting in front of his office. He was surprised to see she even brought him coffee. He had breakfast with a college that morning but he couldn't not drink her "peace offering".

The decision to downplay their kiss was something he was regretting, especially as he watched her working. He doubted she noticed just how many times she leaned forward or bent over, giving him a great view. He imagined grabbing her by the hips as she stood next to him, hanging a picture. Some of her lower back was exposed as she stretched. He daydreamed he lifted her and sat her on the papers that littered his desk. The best parts of his fantasy were how her legs opened for him and her lips that tasted of berries. He managed to excuse himself from the room before he did anything stupid.

When Randal came back into the room, he kept his eyes off her by hiding behind a newspaper. The sound of crunching glass roused him. Taking a careful step back, looking down at her and the mess, he wondered which of his priceless items Belle broke now. The newspaper clip in her hand terrified him. For a moment he hoped he was seeing things and she had broken one of his artifacts.

But it wasn't in his head. In her hands was his wife's obituary, something he kept close to him before Baeden left to remind him he needed to be the perfect father, and that he hadn't succeeded. The paper had permanent creases where it had been folded and unfolded countless times.

Snapping at her had been an instinct for him. Randal didn't realize he had done it until he saw the hurt cross her face. Guilt welled up in him. He had been furious, but not at her. He shouldn't have taken it out on her. Constance and Baeden's pictures were supposed to be back at his house. Reminders of his failures had him on edge. The moment he was able to, he dismissed her. He couldn't add Belle to the list of his failures.

The moment she left, he got up and packed the pictures back up. Shoving them into her car, he didn't need reminders of them at work. They should never have been in his office.

Returning to his office, Randal fully intended to get back to work. He taught one of his classes, but really he just handed out a pop quiz and let them go when they were finished. He wanted to get some work done, but his wife and child taunted him, whispering his failures, how he could never make the young, beautiful Belle happy. She would grow to hate him too. He should hide away from her like the beast he was. He didn't deserve her.

Sudden darkness roused him from his trance. The paper he was supposed to be grading was visible only occasionally when the lightning flashed outside. His eye found the window. It was pitch black outside. The rain beat at the window as if it was trying to break in and beat him down just like the memories of his son and wife did. He gave a sigh. It was as if the weather could sense the turmoil in his soul and wanted to punish him further.

"I hate driving in the rain," he grumbled as he gathered his things.

It was his own fault. He should have just gone home after his class. Getting out to his car was a challenge in itself. The ground was slippery and his leg was aching something fierce. He had to lean on his cane to keep upright. His umbrella kept trying to get away from him.

Randal climbed into his car and tossed his umbrella in the backseat while his cane went to the floor board on the passenger's side. He lived fairly close to the university, but he had to go through the woods to get there. In this weather, it was no surprise to see no other cars on the back roads. Apparently everyone else had been smart and got home before the storm. He was almost home to his pink house when he came to a sharp turn. One turn after this and he'd be in his neighborhood.

Before the turn he could just make out the flashers of a car. He slowed down and made a wide turn, using the oncoming lane to give the car room. This caused him to miss the majority of the puddle. Admittedly, he took the turn too fast. He didn't think the driver would be stupid enough to get out of their car in this weather. There was a person walking back to their driver's door. He hit on the breaks- careful not to slam them down hard enough to send him hydroplane- and swerved just enough not to run down the person. He stopped about ten or so feet down the road, once he got back into the correct lane. It happened so fast he didn't see who it was, let alone if they were male or female.

Randal put his car in reverse and backed up to get closer to the car. He stopped plenty of distance from the car. Before he even made a move to get out once his car was in park, he checked his phone. There was no service.

"Of course not," he sighed. He really didn't want to give this nobody a ride but he could at least check on them.

Grabbing his umbrella and cane, he quickly got out of his car and slammed the door. He squinted in the rain and carefully made his way over. At first all he could tell was the person was all right but as soon as his name left those heavenly lips, he knew just who it was.

"Belle?" he asked, though he didn't need to. "Are you all right?" he moved closer and held his large umbrella out so they could both stand under it. With this nearness, he could see she was soaked to the bone and was shivering. He shrugged out of his jacket clumsily and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Belle didn't argue. She even slipped her arms in the sleeves and held it close to her. "Thanks," she smiled at him. "My car broke down. Is your phone working?"

"No, sorry, must be the storm. I didn't hurt you did I?" Randal asked. He wanted to wipe the running mascara from her cheeks but he kept his distance.

She laughed, sounding a little relieved as she said, "No, just gave me a fright. But you should be more careful in this sort of weather!"

"I'll keep that in mind next time." He promised, looking at her car then back at her. "Why don't you lock up and I'll give you a ride?"

She hesitated. She must have been thinking it over. Was she still angry from before? "Okay," she gave a smile, "I'd appreciate that."

He followed her back to her car and waited patiently as she turned off her car but left her emergency lights on. At least she had a good battery. He helped her out of the car. She locked the car on the way out then came around to the front and shut the hood. She probably wouldn't be back tonight.

Randal walked with her back to his car. Once she was inside the car, he hurried around to the driver's side and got in. He replaced his cane and umbrella where they had been before. Somewhere, he knew that if this had been anyone but Belle, he wouldn't be quite the gentleman. He did have some things to make up for.

"You can just take me to Jefferson's. He lives about ten minutes away," Belle was saying as he started driving.

'_Of course, she wants him.'_ The night at the bar when he watched her snap at Jefferson must have just been because he was rude, not because she actually cared for him. "My house is just around the corner," he told her, pulling into his neighborhood. "Wouldn't want to be in the rain longer than we have to, it's getting worse."

"Yeah… I guess you're right," she said slowly. He could feel her eyes on him but he made sure not to look over at her.

In a matter of minutes, he was parked in front of his house. As they drove through the neighborhood, it was apparent that no one had power. "Stay put," he told her as he gathered his cane and umbrella. He got out of the car and limped around to her side. His knee was killing him. It always did when it rained.

Belle opened the door when Randal reached her and he was quick to hold the umbrella over her- he even missed covering himself long enough for his head and shoulders to get damp. She got out of the car and smiled at him.

Reaching up, she dusted some of the rain droplets from his hair. She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. She stayed close to him as they walked up to drive and up the steps. She slowed and put her hand under his elbow when she noticed him wincing. Randal was grateful but embarrassed she had to see him like that. How could she want an old geezer who was nearly crippled?

* * *

Belle took his keys from him as they reached the door. He had his hands full and she could tell he was in pain. She quickly opened the door for him. Before he could say anything, she took the umbrella and closed it off, shaking it off on the porch.

"You can just put that here," Randal told her, pointing to an umbrella holder just inside the door. She did as he said. His hand immediately checked the lights. No such luck; the power was out.

"Do you have a flashlight or candles?" she asked, closing the door behind her. Now they had no light.

Her question was only answered by the sound of fumbling before a click, and light flooded the floor. "I have some candles around here somewhere."

Belle followed him into the kitchen. As he grabbed some matches and a candle, he directed her to the phone. She picked it up but there was no dial tone. She sighed and checked her cell phone again.

"Don't worry about your car, I'll have it towed and get my mechanic take a look at it," Randal promised her.

"You really don't have to do that, really. But thanks for the offer."

"I'm not going to take no for an answer. Think of it as pay back for nearly running you over and for being a jerk earlier," he reassured her. He put on his best smile.

She could feel herself melting a little. "Well, then thank you, my hero," she teased him. But her last words hung in the air. While she held her breath, his was speeding up. She trembled in desire.

He seemed to notice for the first time that she was completely soaked. "You must be freezing!" he exclaimed, breaking the tension. He hobbled over to her and wrapped his free arm around her. "Come on, you get in the shower and warm up and I'll get you something to wear. When the power comes on, I'll dry your clothes."

Belle had never seen his side of Randal. He was so… paternal, like how her father took care of her when she was sick as a child. He slipped the boxes of matches into his pocket and picked up the flashlight. She grabbed the candles and followed him without a thought. They took their time on the stairs, his leg once again starting to show weakness.

"Maybe you should rest a moment?" she suggested as they paused on the stairs again. She stood just one step behind him. On the wall next to him hung a picture of his wife and Baeden. The frozen moment showed the two on an Easter egg hunt, both laughing. Little Baeden held a pastel egg in his chubby hand. "Your family is beautiful," she said softly. She had to tell him. He would most likely snap at her, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Yes, they were… Thank you," he said quietly. She could hear what must have been grief in his voice. "I miss them."

She reached out slowly and gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "Would you tell me about them?" she prompted.

Silence spread between them but finally she had her answer, "All right." As they made their way up the stairs, he began his story.

"Constance and I were married just before I started my master's. Neither of us really knew what love was, but she liked the idea of adventure my job offered. I was so in love with her. I admit, I let her get away with too much. She loved to shop but didn't like working. I barely made enough to support her habit, but we got by. We traveled a bit. When we were in South America we found out she was pregnant. By now I finished my masters. We moved back to Storybrooke and I took a job here teaching." Randal took a seat on the edge of the bed while Belle remained standing.

"We were so happy. Well, I guess I don't really know if she was happy… She seemed like it. Even when Bae was born, she was so cheerful. And he was such a good baby, he hardly cried. He always seemed to be laughing at something. But slowly, Connie… I could tell she was miserable." He wrung his hands together. He paused and cleared his throat. "I tried talking to her about it… She kept telling me something was wrong with Bae… that he was evil. That he was evil because of me. I must have done something when we were in South America to do this to our baby."

"I didn't understand what she was going through so I sent her to counseling. I went with her. Things just got worse from there. Sometimes I'd come home and find Connie just watching tv or reading and Bae would be in his crib, screaming his head off for god only knows how long. She would leave him in dirty diapers, not feed him." He started at the ground as he spoke. Belle took seat next to him, taking a hold of his hand to show support. A few tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I cut back on my hours at the school so I could be there for them both. But there was a meeting that I had to go to. Connie had been doing so much better. I through things would be okay for just a few hours." His voice broke. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, urging him on. She doubted he ever told this to anyone before now.

"When I came home it was so quiet. Bae wasn't in the nursery and Connie wasn't answering any of my calls. Finally, I heard water running in the bathroom. I thought she was giving him a bath, but I couldn't forget the dread when I hadn't been able to find them. So I went to make sure. But she'd locked the bathroom door and I could hear…" his voice dropped off as the panic gripped him again, like he was reliving it all over again. "I could hear Bae. He was screaming, but it wasn't right so I broke down the door."

He stood up suddenly and lit a few candles, but his hands were shaking so badly it took several tries for the flame to meet the wick. Belle wanted to wrap her arms around him, but it wasn't the time for that. After a few more moments, he settled down again. He still shook but his voice was steadier.

"She was holding him under the water. She was trying to kill our baby," his voice cracked and Belle's heart broke. She couldn't sit still anymore. Resting a hand on his back and the other on his bicep, she let him know she was there for him.

"I grabbed Bae and ran to the hospital. Bae was all I could think about, I should have made her come with us, should have called someone to watch her, but Bae, I was so worried about Bae. While I was at the hospital with him my wife, my wife drove into a lake. I guess she couldn't live with herself." He fell quiet and the silence stretched for miles.

"And Bae?"

Randal shook his head as if coming out of a trance. "He didn't remember and I never told him. How could I? How do you tell someone their mother tried to kill them? But as he got older he got more suspicious, angrier. He ran away when he was fourteen. He'd be twenty one now."

Belle didn't mention that she was the same age as Bae. She continued to soothe him. "You did the right thing… Maybe you can still find him?" she tried giving him hope.

He just shrugged and started rummaging through his drawers. He pulled out a T-shirt and some stretch pants for her. "Come on, you should shower before you get too sick." He turned and gave her a halfhearted smile.

She gave him a small one back, wiping his cheek clean of tears. "Okay." She wished there was something she could do to make him feel better.

He led her over to the bathroom, carrying a candle and leaning on his cane. She had the clothes he gave her.

"You know, I think I can run a shower myself," she said with a smirk.

Randal put the candle down on the counter. "The pipes are temperamental."

"Like you?" Belle snickered.

To her surprise, he began to laugh. "Yes, I guess you're right." He moved away from her still laughing. He started the faucet and adjusted the temperature for her. He stood up and smiled at her.

Smiling back at him, it was a nice chance from his usual stoic nature. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, a surprised look crossing his features.

"For helping me, for being honest with me," she shrugged.

For a few moments, he only stared at her. "Belle…" he said softly. Something changed in the way he stared at her. She wasn't sure if it was the building steam from the water or if they were starting to generate their own heat. He took a step towards her, and she found herself mimicking his step.

"Yes, Randal?" she said, suddenly finding it hard to breath with his nearness. Her heart sped up.

He rested his hand on her cheek and slowly slid it into her wet hair. She shivered from the memory of their first kiss. "I'll try my best to never lie to you again." His eyes traveled down to watch the way she licked her lips.

"Is that all?" She found herself moving closer, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"I lied when I said I wanted nothing to change between us," he admitted.

A knowing smile came to her lips and turned into a smirk, like she knew it all along. "Is that so?" she asked, leaning forward so their mouths were almost touching. She could feel his quickened breath on her lips. "And how do you think things should change, Professor Gold?"

He gave a soft moan. Had she hit a fantasy of his? "I think you should be mine." Before she could make a retort, he pulled her closer and crushed his lips against hers. His lips were not simply asking, but demanding from her own and she succumbed to his every whim, giving all that she could.

They stumbled backwards until she was pressed up against the counter. He gripped her hips and helped her hop up on the counter. They had barely missed the lit candles and he reached back almost blindly to push them away, his lips hot on her own, wanting more. It would always be more. She spread her legs so he could press up against her body, as she was quick to wrap them around him, pulling him closer, leaving nothing but the thin fabric of their clothing between them. But even that felt like too much. A sense of urgency filled them, a tingling sensation coiling in the pit of her stomach.

She wasn't exactly experienced when it came to things like this. This was probably the most intense make out session she had ever had and she didn't want it to stop just here. His hands ravished her sides through her wet shirt, discovering every little curve to her delicate frame. Leaving nothing of her to the imagination, and she knew he would know all over her before this would ever be over. She broke the kiss, nearly gasping for air. Her head fell back as his lips moved down her neck, sucking and nibbling at the soft, bare skin, heated from the excitement. The need.

Before she knew it, his jacket was off her shoulders. Belle didn't waste time once his jacket was on the ground. She undid the buttons on his shirt then pushed it wide to reveal his chest. She didn't have time to pull it off due to the fact he was already pulling off her shirt. His hips pressed into her intimately as he opened his eyes to take in her pale skin.

A groan escaped his lips. She glanced down at herself. She wore her white bra made out of delicate lace. "You must be trying to kill me." He growled, sounding almost animal. His hands cupped her breasts.

She moaned softly. The way his thumbs began to trace circles around her nipples through the thin material. His hands were experts, they became erect for him almost instantly. "Randal…"

"I like it when you say my name." He smirked, capturing her lips once more. He tasted like bitter coffee but she found she loved the taste. His hips pressed into her again. This time she started moving her hips so they were grinding. She could feel just how hard he was. "Oh god, Belle."

She smiled at that. Her hands moved down his chest to his belt. She undid it slowly, staring up at him playfully. She showed more confidence than she actually felt.

It wasn't long after that before both of their clothes were discarded on the floor. Belle and Randal stumbled across the bathroom to the shower. Neither of them wanted to stop kissing or touch each other. She nearly slipped on the way into the tub but he caught her and pulled her up against his body. Even though he had a lanky body, his muscles were hard against her soft curves. She giggled uncontrollable. "I guess that's two times you've saved me tonight."

"And I'd do it again and again," he promised, kissing the tip of her nose. He turned them so she was pressed up against the cold wall so her clumsiness wouldn't get the better of her. The shower head poured hot water on them from the side. This time when he kissed her it was a slow passionate kiss.

If Belle hadn't been pinned to the wall, she might have gone weak in the knees and fell. She had one of her legs was hooked around his hip while her other pressed against his manhood. Both of their hands were memorizing each other's bodies as if they needed to know every little detail.

As they kissed, Randal moved one of his hands in between their bodies and slipped his hand between her thighs. His thumb stroked in slow careful circles. Her moan was muffled by the kiss. He knew just what to do to her. A smirk was on his lips as he pulled back to look at her as he tasted his dripping fingers. She shivered, wondering if he thought she tasted good.

His hand moved to her thigh, pulling it up so her leg was more secured around him as he aligned his length with her entrance. A sudden fear rushed through her.

"Wait," she said suddenly. He had been starting to press into her but he immediately stopped, scared she had suddenly changed her mind. Her hands moved to his chest, trying to soothe him while trying to find a way to say it.

"What?" he asked, his voice sounded a little strained and worried.

"I-" she started and broke off. Taking a gulp, she let out a small sigh. She wasn't sure if he would be hesitant knowing she was a virgin. All of the warnings, like how her first time would hurt and once she gave it to him he would be through with her, taunted her. "I've never done this…"

It took him a moment to process that. "You're a virgin?" All she could do was nod. Her throat would no longer allow her to speak. "Oh, love." He said, letting her thigh go so she could have both of her feet on the ground again. Both of his hands moved up and cupped her cheeks while he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "You could have told me," he told her, kissing her lips this time. "Come on," he dropped his hands and grasped hers. "If you still want to do this, we'll make this a memorable time."

She smiled at his promised. His reassurance helped her realize he would take care of her. She kissed him, mumbling against his lips. "Yes, I still want to do this."

Smiling at her, he nodded and shut off the water. He got out of the tub first and wrapped a towel around her then one around his waist. She couldn't help but notice how attentive and gentle he was with her. They walked together into the bedroom, his arms wrapped around her protectively. She could tell he wanted to make sure she was comfortable.

Belle turned to him and dropped her towel. Randal smirked at her boldness. He dropped his own towel before he took her in his arms, being careful as he laid her back on the bed. "Are you sure?" he asked her as he hovered over her, making sure he wasn't putting too much weight on her.

"I'm very sure," she promised. She had never been more sure of anything. Until now, she had never really imagined being with anyone specific. She knew it would happen eventually but he was a complete surprise. What smart person would climb into their professor's bed out of anything other than getting a good grade? She wasn't in it for that. She truly cared about Randal and could even see herself loving him.

Randal kissed her again but the kiss didn't last long. His lips moved down her body, nipping and sucking everywhere he could reach. He paid careful attention to her breasts. His teeth scrapped against her hardened nipple. A loud moan escaped her mouth. Her hips had a mind of their own as she started grinding against him.

His hand moved down to tease her again. He wanted to make sure she was prepared for him, he couldn't live with himself if he hurt her. This would be uncomfortable enough for her. Her hips moved against him as his index and middle finger rubbed her bud. Her moans were becoming louder. Carefully, he inserted his index finger into her. She gasped, her body tensing up. He stopped, letting her body adjust to him. Slowly he slipped his finger out of her then back into her. As he continued his pace, she slowly began to move with him.

He slowed his pace again to slip a second finger inside of her. This elicited more groans from her. Once he knew she was dripping and ready for him, he pulled his fingers free.

"Don't stop," she whimpered, opening her eyes to looking at him.

Kissing her lips to reassure her, he whispered. "I'm not, dearie. Are you ready for me?"

She licked her lips and nodded quickly, "Yes." Shifting under him, she spread her legs for him more.

Randal didn't need any more persuasion than that. He grasped his length and lined himself up with her entrance once more. He pressed into her, keeping an eye on her for any signs she wanted to stop. His tip hit her barrier. She kept her eyes locked on his, her mouth agape but not making any noise.

"Belle, you need to breathe," he whispered.

Belle nodded, letting out a shaky breathe. He thrust into her, breaking her maiden head in one movement. She inhaled. Her hands that were on his shoulders tightened, even digging her nails into his skin a little.

His lips kissed her cheek as he waited for her to adjust to his size. "Are you all right?"

She gave a small nod, slowly breathing out. It hurt but not as much as she thought it would. "Y-yes." She gave him a little smile, kissing the corner of his mouth. She pressed her hips up into his. As he thrust into her slowly, the pain dissolved into pleasure. Her whole body quaked with desire.

Both of their bodies were slick with sweat. The scent of sex filled the air. Belle found herself in complete ecstasy. This was something so completely different than any of her other experiences. Randal was the one who she was always meant to be with. She connected with him in such a way she never had with anyone else.

It didn't take long for Randal to have her on edge. "Oh god…" She whimpered, trying to hold on to the edge of her control. He bucked into her roughly, sending her over the edge. She arched her back and let out a scream as she climaxed. The way her body clinched his had him yelling as he spilled his seed into her.

He didn't pull himself out from her as they both collapsed out on the bed. He chuckled softly, seeing the grin she couldn't keep off her face. "How was that?" He rubbed his nose against hers slowly.

"Perfect… More than I ever dreamt of," she admitted to him. She leaned up, kissing him. "Thank you."

He pulled out of her but rolled so he was on his back and she was on top of him. She snuggled into his grip, resting her head on his chest. They were both still panting. "I'm glad I could make you happy… I plan on continuing to do so."

She laughed breathlessly. "Well good… I like the sound of that." She buried her face into his chest, not wanting to admit how much she really cared about him.

He laid their stroking her hair, lulling her into an almost sleep. She wouldn't mind falling asleep in his arms. He was so sweet to her. He gave a yawn. But both of them jumped when the doorbell suddenly went off. She looked up at him. "Who would be coming here so late?" she couldn't help but ask.

He frowned and shrugged. "No one. They'll go away. Just lay back down." He settled back down, pulling her back down as well.

She settled down, closing her eyes once more. The doorbell went off again but neither of them moved. They would get the idea and leave. That's when they hear the door knob shake a little and then finally the front door opened. They both shot up.

"Who's that?" she gasped.

"No one, just get in the closet," he told her, getting out of the bed. He grabbed some pants to wear. Belle didn't have time to get her clothes so she wrapped herself up in the blanket and hurried into the closet. She barely had time to close the door all but for a crack. She scooted back into his closet and crouched down.

Randal seemed to have gotten his cane in time to meet whoever it was at the door.

"Hello lover," the voice purred. Belle's body turned to ice. She had heard that voice before. It couldn't be who she thought it was.

"What are you doing here?" he was asking as Belle scooted silently so she could peek out of the closet.

She saw a woman leaning towards him and planting a passionate kiss on his lips. That was no kiss you'd give a friend or sister. She caught sight of the woman as she pulled back. Belle barely managed to keep herself from gasping.

Headmistress Regina Mills stood, running her fingers over Randal's bare chest.

"What, you don't want me here?" She smirked, kissing his cheek. "You know I'll make it worth your while like last night."


	7. Broken Hearts

Randal cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm not feeling well so if you don't mind leaving so I can get some step."

"Oh my poor baby," she said coming closer still and wrapping her arms around his torso. "Let me make you feel better." Her lips went to his neck.

Belle could see and hear everything. Her hands were pressed into her lips, making sure no sound came from them. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. How could she have trusted him? This was a man she thought she knew. Apparently not well enough. How could he not tell her he was already seeing someone? He just wanted to get into her pants. How many other girls suffered the same fate? Or was she so naive that she was the only one to fall for it?

"I don't need any tending to; I just want to sleep alone." His voice sounded rough. His back was turned to the closet.

Belle's stomach was clenched up in knots. Had she not been there would he have welcomed the Dean into his bed?

Regina pulled back, a frown on her face. She stared at him, Belle guessed she must have been trying to decide why he was being so distance. "Fine, if you really want to be alone and miserable be my guest," she said, there was a bite to her voice.

Randal gave a sigh as Regina turned away from him. "By the way," she said, turning to face him, "I hope you remember our little arrangement. Feel better lover." She blew him a kiss and disappeared. Randal followed only to the top of the stairs, making sure she was really gone.

Belle waited until she heard the door slam to get up. Pushing the closet door opened, she made a B line straight for the bathroom. She didn't care if her clothes were wet, there was no way she would stay a moment longer.

"Belle!" Randal's voice came from behind her. He sounded panicked. "That wasn't what it looked like!"

Belle turned on him. "Oh, and what did it look like, Randal? That you have a girlfriend and you didn't want her to find the student you just banged?" Her voice rose from barely a whisper to a shout. Her body shook with furry.

"Regina is not my girlfriend and she will never be my girlfriend." Randal said, hoping to soothe her. He reached out and touched her arm gently.

Her hands slapped his hands away. If she wasn't holding herself back, she would have also slapped him hard across the face. "So I guess you're just one of those guys who treats sex like a work out or dessert and doesn't mind who he gets it from?"

"No, of course not!" His voice sounded hurt but she didn't care. This was all his game. "There is nothing more than sex between us. We have a deal-"

She cut him off, "So you are one of those guys who treats sex like no big deal!" She kept the blanket around her as she slipped into her panties then struggled into her jeans. She needed to get out of here. She didn't care where she ended up.

"That's not true. I care for you! I wouldn't have been with you if I didn't!" He put his hands on her arms to hold her still. She could only guess he wanted her to see his side of things.

"I bet that's what you tell all the girls' who find out about your little game," Belle snapped, pulling back and out of his grip. Turning her back on him, she snatched up her bra and shirt, finally letting the blanket drop. He'd have an eye full of her bare back but she didn't care. He'd seen a great deal more than that.

She slipped on her bra, hooking it in the back before she yanked on her t-shirt. Her shoes were a different story. They were wet and made squishy sounds as she walked.

"That's not true, Belle. Please believe me. I'm not lying to you." He tried to reassure her. He didn't fight her when she pushed past him. "You can't leave like this! In this bad of a storm! Please wait until morning and we'll sort all of this out!"

"If you think I'm staying here, you're completely daft," she snapped at him as she hurried out of his bedroom. "I guess you got your wish! You'll be spending tonight alone!" Randal called out behind her, but she ignored him.

Hurrying into the cold, wet rain, she could no longer tell if she was crying or if it was just the rain. The wind made her stumble along. It wasn't until a large house in the middle of the woods loomed over her that she realized where she was. _Jefferson._ She hurried up the stairs and pounded on the door.

* * *

Jefferson was sitting on his couch sulking. He kept trying to call and text Belle but she wasn't replying. He called her house but her father told him that she wasn't home. Jefferson was highly suspicious that Belle had told Moe to tell him that she wasn't there so she wouldn't have to talk to him. He knew he should have stayed out of her business but she deserved so much better than that scum bag professor. He just knew that Professor Gold was going to hurt her.

Was it so wrong that he wanted to protect her? He didn't think so. He loved her but there was nothing he could do to make her see. He promised himself the next time she saw him he would tell her he loved her. He'd do everything he could to make sure she actually saw him.

In his hand, there was an untouched glass of scotch. He had poured it in his self-loathing but had forgotten about it before he had the chance to drink any. The tv was black even though it was on. The satellite got knocked out long before the storm hit.

It was pretty late and he had already gotten Grace ready for bed. He was surprised that she was sleeping through the thunder. Generally, she'd climb in bed with him when a big storm like this came through.

The banging on the door caused him to spill his drink all over himself. "Damn it," he grumbled. The scotch soaked his button up shirt and jeans. He set the glass down. The persistent banging continued.

Who in their right mind would be banging on his door this time of night? He yanked the door open with a mouthful of obscenities. The words were lost on his lips the moment he laid eyes on her. "Belle? What happened to you?"

His poor Belle was soaked to the bone. Her jeans were covered in mud up to her knees. Her eye liner and mascara were smeared. He'd be turned on by this and the way her shirt clung to her curves if it wasn't for the sob that escaped her lips. She threw herself at him.

Jefferson wrapped his arms around her while managing to kick the door shut. Leading her into the kitchen and towards the laundry room, he spoke to her in a comforting manor, "It's okay. Everything's going to be all right." His words didn't seem to soothe her.

"Let me get you some dry clothes, you just sit here." He guided her into a chair at the table. She gave him a feeble nod and sat.

Jefferson hesitated only a moment before disappearing into the laundry room. He could hear her sobs and hiccups from in there. Grabbing a pair of clean work out pants with a string to tighten the waist band and a shirt for her, he came back and offered her the clothes but she didn't move. "Do you need help?"

Another nod and a sniffle was all he received back. His mind started turning with endless of possibilities of what could have made his little angel practically catatonic. "All right then," he said, a little unsure of himself. It was no different than helping Grace. Well, almost.

Kneeling on the floor, he slipped off her shoes one by one. He couldn't help but take note that she wasn't wearing socks. She was never without socks; she always said her feet were so cold. He wiped the mud on his hands onto a towel.

This was not the way he pictured himself undressing her. He imagined it would be a magical thing that only heightened their need for each other. Instead he instructed her to stand while he helped her out of the jeans that only wanted to cling to her.

With a clean towel, he dried off her legs and feet. Her pale skin was ice cold. He held out the pants so she could step into them. He wasn't about to take off her panties. He dared not even glance that way. Her small hands rested on his shoulders to steady herself as she stepped into the pants. She didn't bother tying them.

Jefferson stood up and looked down into her bottomless blue eyes. It was like looking into the glass eyes of a doll. His hands grasped the hem of her shirt but he hesitated. Belle wasn't stopping him but she also wouldn't hold eye contact with him. She glanced away and lifted her arms up.

At that, he finally pulled the shirt up and off of her. This time his eyes went straight to her chest. Her breasts rose and fell slowly. There was so much detailing in the lace that only made him want to rip it off. Instead he forced himself to look away as he made sure she was dry before putting his clean shirt on her. "There! Now you can start to warm up!" He tried to be cheerful, only he wanting to make her happy. He hated seeing her like this.

Jefferson had his work cut out for him to cheer Belle up. He took her to the living room and wrapped her up in some blankets. While some chamomile tea was steeping, he hurried off to get a brush. Her hair had bits of twigs and leaves tangled up in it. By the time he brought her a tea, she moved to the floor with her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms hugging them. He sat on the couch behind her and handed her the drink. She took it and thanked him quietly but didn't drink any.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. His hands began to carefully work out the knots in her hair.

"You'll think I'm an idiot." Her voice was so soft he almost thought he imagined it.

"I'd never think that," he reassured her.

"I slept with Professor Gold," Belle admitted. Jefferson's hands froze mid brush. When he didn't say anything, she continued, "My car broke down on the way home from school. And he brought me back to his house to use his phone and to get out of the weather… We started talking and then it just sort of happened."

"Well, did he hurt you? Is that why you left?"

She shook her head and winced when his brush snagged a tangle. "No, well sort of… Everything was great, perfect even. And then we heard knocking at his door. And the door opened and he told me to hide in the closet…" Her voice cracked. She took a sip of the tea to calm herself.

"Who was it?" He could help but ask. Curiosity had always been a fault of his.

"Dean Mills," she whimpered.

"Oh shit."

"Yeah oh shit. If she caught me sleeping with him I could lose my scholarship, and he'd lose his job. But that's not the worst part! He acted as if sleeping with her was no big deal and he had to." Her voice shook as tears fell from her lashes. She set down the saucer and tea on the coffee table so she wouldn't spill it. "Then he had the audacity to say that what we did was something special! I mean how could what they did be meaningless and what we did be special?! How could I have been so stupid to think he actually cared?"

"Oh, Belle, you're not stupid. You could never be stupid." Jefferson told her, putting the brush down and wrapping his arms around her. He didn't dip into the subject of meaningless sex. That wasn't something she'd want to hear right now.

"Then how can you explain why I had sex?" she whimpered.

He pulled her off the ground and onto his lap so she was sideways. "Sometimes sex just happens even if we don't plan for it. But that doesn't make you stupid. You didn't know what would happen after." He held her, gently rocking her the way he had done with Grace countless times. She snuggled into his chest, sniffling.

Jefferson hadn't imagined that this would have been the cause of all her pain. He understood why she was so hurt. Belle had always told him that the man she gave herself to would be her husband. He'd always held out hope that he would be that someone.

"I know this really sucks, but you are going to make it through this. You are the bravest girl I've ever met," he whispered, planting a small kiss on her head. "I only wish you could see yourself the way I see you…"

"How do you see me?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"I see my best friend, beautiful, smart, strong. You're the only one who could have pulled my out of my stupor after Alice died… You're the person who stole my heart." He held his breathe as he waited for her response.

She froze in his arms. "Jeffers… I… I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"I know and it's okay." He pulled back a little, grasping her by her arms and holding her a little way away so he could see her. "I know you won't return my feelings. I get it. But just know that you deserve the world. If I was that guy, I'd move heaven and hell to give you whatever you wanted."

Belle stared at him, her bright blue eyes shining with fresh tears. "Jefferson, you know I love you… but not in that way…" She bit her lip.

Jefferson gave her a sad smile. He had always known this would be her reaction. "Belle, it's okay. Really. I'm okay with just being friends with you."

She rested a cold hand on his cheek. "If I could make myself love you I would, Jeffers." She whispered. She kissed him gently. She let her lips linger for just a moment before she pulled back. "But I already gave my heart away…"

"To Professor Gold?" He forced himself to ask.

She nodded slowly. "It'll never work, I know but… I think I really do love him." A few tears escaped her lashes. He was quick to wipe them away.

"Then I'll help you make sure that you didn't give it away to someone unworthy of it." Jefferson really did mean it. He couldn't see Belle hurting. If she wanted Gold then he would make damn sure Gold was a good guy and that he deserved her. But no one would be truly be worthy of his little Belle. He smiled at her, standing up with her still in her arms. "But for now you need to sleep."

And with that he carried her up to his room and tucked her in bed. He would have slept on the couch but she insisted he stay with her. He slept on top of the covers but wrapped his arms around her when she snuggled into his side. As she drifted off to sleep, she laughed softly. "You smell like Scotch… Randal always smells like scotch…"

* * *

Authors Notes: Thank you to all my fans for reading and staying by my side in my little hiatus. Thanks Bottledspirits and Pamplemice of tumblr for refreshing my interest in writing and giving me new ideas for later chapters! Thank you to everyone who tracked down my tumblr and left me asks begging for more! Thanks to Beth, my best friend, for being there, even when we got too side tracked to work out issues with Randal Gold. Haha. Don't worry this is not the end! I'm starting school this week but I promise to continue writing! I love you all! Please favorite and leave comments! I even like constructive comments!


	8. The Day After

The next morning did not bring new hope for Belle. If it was possible she was feeling even more insecure about what happened the night before. She stared up the ceiling, silently turning over the events in her head. Jefferson was asleep on top of the covers next to her, his arm draped over her midsection in a protective manor.

There was an ever present ache between her thighs that made her unable to deny that she had indeed slept with her professor and that Regina, the Dean of her university, had nearly caught them in the act. She groaned at the memory.

Instinctively, Jefferson's grip on her tightened, pulling her closer as if his mere presence could scare off bad dreams. Belle stared at him as he continued to sleep; it was only four thirty in the morning. She couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked this way. There was even a small smile lingering on his lips. It would be so easy to be with him. He'd take care of her and she truly loved Grace. But all she could see Jefferson as was a big brother. She'd always have something missing inside of her if she was with him.

Struggling to get out of Jefferson's grip, Belle finally managed to scoot over to the edge of the bed and get out from under the covers. She made her way into the bathroom and carefully shut the door behind her. As she flipped on the light, she stared at her reflection. Her hair was a mess, even though Jefferson had gotten out most of the knots. Her makeup from the day before was smeared across her face. Other than that she didn't look different.

Wasn't she supposed to look different after she had sex for the first time? Wasn't she supposed to be happy and in love? Well, she was definitely in love but not at all happy. She was almost certain he didn't love her and that he used her. She was disgusted with herself.

She snatched Jefferson's brush and went to work on her hair. Her actions were violent almost as if she was trying to punish herself. When her hair was finally tangle free, she dropped the brush on the counter. Still she didn't look different; no glow. Only a miserable look graced her features.

Belle undressed and climbed into the shower. Under the spray, she allowed herself to feel sorry for herself and let herself give in to her tears. She stayed just in the shower, soaking up as much heat as she could. It didn't seem to do much good as she still felt cold from last night. The water couldn't warm her broken heart.

Dragging herself out of the shower, Belle put back on her clothes automatically and went about her normal routine of bushing out of her hair. She didn't have a toothbrush there so she used her finger then swished around some mouth wash. There was still about an hour before either Jefferson or Grace would be up. There had to be something she could do to keep herself busy and not thinking about Randal. He probably had long forgotten her.

Cracking the door open, she peeked out to make sure Jefferson was still asleep. That man could sleep through just about anything. Still, she hurried as silently as she could out into the hallway. In the kitchen she found her muddy clothes. Rinsing them off in the sink as best she could, the brunette then put them in the wash. She tried sitting on the couch and relaxing while they washed but she was too anxious.

Before Belle started to feel sorry for herself, she hopped up. "I will not be a victim." She told herself sternly. Her first task was tiding up the living room. Luckily there was plenty to do in there. Jefferson had never been much of a cleaner. She admired her handy work. Even the coffee table, which was probably older than she was, seemed to shine.

When there was nothing else to do there, she decided to make everyone breakfast. By the time she place the muffin pan in the oven, her clothes were clean. She threw them in the dryer on high. The muffins were done in about fifteen minutes. After that, the pan of bacon went into the already hot oven and the eggs were freshly cracked into a pan on the stove just as the dryer dinged.

By the time everything was ready, she was back in her clothes from the night before. She picked up her pair of shoes from the night before. They were covered in mud and completely soaked. At least there were a few pairs of her shoes that she left for such occasions like this. She tossed her shoes out on the back porch.

"Auntie Belle?" Grace asked as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"Hey, sweetie pie, I made you a big breakfast you can have before school." Belle said, walking up to her and hugging her. She scooped the sleepy girl up in her arms and carried her over to the table then plopped her down in a chair.

"You should have come and slept in my bed! It's been so long since we had a sleep over!" Grace wined, watching Belle walk over and make her a large plate of food.

"I know, but I came in so late I would have woken you up." The older girl gave her a kiss on the cheek and put a plate down in front of her. She already had a glass of water and orange juice on the table for each of them. Belle found herself smiling as she thought of a family she one day hoped to have.

"Why did you come so late?" Grace asked as she started eating.

Belle froze for a moment as she was making her own plate of food. "Well, my car broke down and I had to walk all the way here because my phone was dead," she told her, coming to sit next to her with her own plate. Grace didn't need to know the whole truth.

"Wow! It was raining really hard last night!" Grace said, looking over at Belle in amazement.

Belle just smiled at the girl and ate her food. Jefferson was still sleeping so she took responsibility getting Grace ready for school. They put on their rain boots -Belle had to wear one of Jefferson's coats, Grace had her own raincoat. The girls hurried out into the light rain. Belle waited with her at the bus stop and kissed her cheek before she climbed on the bus.

By the time Belle got back, Jefferson was sitting at the table polishing off the rest of breakfast. "Well, I'm glad to see the food isn't going to waste," she said.

Jefferson turned and grinned at her, a mouth full of muffin. She rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "You are ridiculous." She came to sit next to him.

He snickered before swallowing his mouthful and then finishing his glass of milk. "Thanks for the grub. Did you get Grace to the bus on time?"

She nodded, "She sends her love and begged for us to have another sleepover this weekend."

"Well, that can always be arranged." He laughed, leaning back in his chair.

She smiled but remained silent, studying him. Could she possibly love him? Wouldn't it be fair of her to give him a chance before she potentially destroyed her life by giving Randal a chance.

Jefferson seemed to notice her gaze. "What? Do I have something on me?" he asked, wiping at his lips.

Belle pursed her lips, still staring. "Jeffers, kiss me."

He froze. "What?"

"You heard me. I want you to kiss me."

He sat up a little straighter. "You want me to kiss you?"

She rolled her eyes. "What is there an echo in here?" Instead of waiting for him to answer, Belle grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him towards her, crushing her lips into his. She poured as much passion into the kiss as she could muster. He reacted instantly, taking control of the kiss and pulling her towards him. As she kissed him, she found her mind drifting off and think about Randal. Finally, she pushed Jefferson back so he was at arm's length. He stared at her, unsure of what to do.

Sighing, Belle leaned back in her chair. "Sorry…" she finally said.

"Why did we just…?" Jefferson drifted off.

"I was trying to see if I could have feelings for you…" She chewed on her lip.

"And that conclusion is…?"

"My mind went straight to him." She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Jefferson. It makes so much sense for me to be with you but-"

"You love him. I get it, Belle." Jefferson said, taking her hand. "At least we tried." He got up and kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"Where are you going?" she asked as he started to walk out of the kitchen.

"To get dressed, we have to go check to make sure your car didn't float away don't we?" He smirked.

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Jeffers, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Where the fuck is my car?" Belle asked suddenly. Jefferson had driven the short difference from his house to where she left her car. Only her car was nowhere in sight.

"Well, let's not panic. Maybe it's just a bit further?" Jefferson said as he continued to drive but this time going a bit slower. After a few minutes, he turned the car around and headed back.

"Pull over here." Belle said, completely stunned. He did as she asked. She got out of the car and looked around.

"Maybe you were closer to your house?" Jefferson asked, getting out of the car.

"No I know I left it right here!" she snapped. Her heart seemed to be thumping so fast that it might break out of her chest and take flight.

"Okay… Okay… then maybe a tow truck came and picked it up?" He offered up an explanation.

"You have to call a tow truck and I can't afford one!" She sighed. "Give me your phone." He handed it over and she dialed Emma's number. "I think someone stole my car!" She said the moment her friend picked up, not even giving her a chance to say hello.

"Wait what?" Emma said. Her voice was thick, like Belle's call had interrupted the cop's morning bearclaw.

"You heard me! Someone stole my fucking car! It broke down last night during the storm and I had to leave it! And now it's gone!" Belle said, all in one breath.

"You didn't leave your keys in it did you?" Emma asked. Belle could hear the smirk through the phone, making her want to smack her the next time she saw her.

"Of course I didn't leave the keys in the car! It was locked and wouldn't even move when I left it!" Belle shouted, hoping it hurt Emma's ears.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'll start making calls. Can you get over to the station?" She asked.

"Yeah, Jefferson's driving me. We'll be there soon." She said. And with that they were back in Jefferson's car and off to the Sheriff's department with Belle having a panic attack. No matter how large of a breath she tried to take, it felt like there was a vice around her chest making it impossible to take deep breathes. She wrung her hands in her lap. Halfway through the ride into town, Jefferson grabbed her hand to try to ease her just a bit. It didn't work.


End file.
